Out of this world: 12 of the best space pics & videos from astronaut Scott Kelly

As US astronaut Scott Kelly and his Russian counterpart Mikhail Kornienko return to Earth after spending almost 12 months on the International Space Station (ISS), we take a look back at some of Kelly’ more memorable pictures.

The 52-year-old has taken over 1,000 photos from on board the ISS during his 340 days, capturing stunning images of sunrises, snow storms and hurricanes, the auroras, Earth’s vast seas and mountaintops.

March 2015

Kelly’s mission began on March 27 when he lifted off aboard the Soyuz space capsule from from the Baikonur space center, alongside Kornienko.

April 2015

It was always easy for Kelly to capture a photo of Earth from a viewpoint most of us will never experience first hand.

May 2015

The contrasting colors of the Earth, as seen over Hawaii.

June 2015

Kelly tweeted numerous images of the aurora around the world. Its impressiveness was best captured in this timelapse video though.

July 2015

When viewed from above, the oceans of the world can look like artwork.

August 2015

A snapshot of a star-filled Milky Way was given in August that left thousands stunned.

September 2015

The landscape around us can be a vast mix of colors, as Kelly demonstrated with this shot over Spain.

October 2015

Kelly captured an overhead image of Hurricane Patricia as it unleashed its destructive force on Mexico.

November 2015

Following the terrorist attacks on Paris in mid-November, Kelly tweeted the crew’s sympathies and a picture of the devastated city from above.

December 2015

A mixture of cloud, stars, the aurora and city lights of East Asia were captured in early December.

January 2016

While the East Coast of America tried to deal with Storm Jonas, Kelly shared how the storm looked from above.

February 2016

One year on, and Kelly bids farewell to the ISS with some stunning photos of the last sunrise he will see from the space station.

His identical twin brother, retired astronaut Mark Kelly, is ready to welcome him back to Earth.